Key factors to successfully managing a data centre or server room environment are discussed below.

Power

It is essential that there is sufficient power of the correct phase to service the equipment. This is usually monitored at PDU level by the M&E team, but strategic planning can tend to be difficult and sometimes inaccurate, leading to significant over or under specification of power requirements.

The Power 2U range monitors and controls power at cabinet entry and also each outlet on a power strip. This allows the management team to create a historic database that becomes a very accurate and useful modelling tool. By aggregating this information for a server cabinet it will be possible to know the total current used and how much remains.

The management platform also stores server data so you can model against the applications as well as the hardware. This data can then be used to report on power consumption over time to identify peaks and troughs throughout the day or month, allowing the M&E team to strategically place equipment across the room to balance the power consumption.

Cooling

The greater the power requirements of equipment, the more heat generated. Not all equipment is used at the same time, so will run online or support systems during the day, others will run overnight batch, or possibly support countries in different time zones. All these factors make monitoring average temperature particularly difficult, which can be severely detrimental if managed incorrectly.

Monitoring the load to a cabinet and temperature will also determine any rises in temperature which could be due to cabinet payload or possibly the air conditioning in the building.

The Power 2U solution also has the ability to monitor heat in the server cabinets and store historical data in the database. This allows trend analysis of the thermal data to identify hot spots and any associated trends which in turn allows the M&E team to manage the equipment effectively.

• Equipment placed proactively around the room to alleviate the hotspots.
• Place equipment that is used at different times of the day in the same cabinets to even out the thermal load.

TPT’s integrated data centre power and management solution providers provide a unique platform combining monitoring data from TPT’s Power 2 U range product, and a comprehensive set of data centre management tools that have never before been available. Its unique database structure enables a seamless integration with existing investment and control at their disposal. The ability to store floor plans and server information means that the management platform can be installed as a stand alone product to manage one or more data centres, server rooms or a combination of both. Leasing companies, or those cross charging internally can also use the management platform database for accurate information on power consumption.